Regulation

Pakistan’s regulators address issues related to QoS and satellite internet

Pakistan’s regulators address issues related to QoS and satellite internet

Two recent news items from Pakistan highlight the country's attempts to manage two very different but pivotal areas of the modern telecommunications landscape: QoS and satellite internet.

A recent announcement from regulator the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) says that Opensignal, an independent global network analytics organisation, will support the PTA for strengthening the capability of monitoring and enhancement of quality of service (QoS) and quality of experience (QoE) for telecoms subscribers across Pakistan.

The initiative aims to provide objective, real-time insights into network performance using crowdsourced data. 

Opensignal describes itself as the independent global standard for understanding the true state of the world’s networks based on measurements of real user experience.

The PTA says Opensignal’s advanced, data-driven insights will be utilised to monitor and enhance network performance, ensuring reliable and high-speed connectivity for consumers in line with international standards set by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and global best practice.

The PTA will receive consistent, and real-time data on key performance indicators such as 4G/5G speeds, latency, coverage gaps, and user experience. This information will reinforce the PTA's ability to make evidence-based decisions that advance consumer interests, promote investment and facilitate network expansion.

Meanwhile, the Dawn news service reports that the launch of satellite-based internet services in the country has been delayed as authorities look to invite more players into the field and formulate stricter regulations for foreign satellite operators.

Following the expiration of the temporary no-objection certificate for Starlink in March, all foreign satellite operators are now required to submit new applications under new drafted Satellite Communications Regulations.

These regulations are being finalised by the Pakistan Space Activities Reg­ulatory Board (PSARB), based on industry feedback gathered during a recent roundtable discussion.

Referring to recent India-Pakistan and Iran-Israel conflicts, a senior (unnamed) official from the Ministry of IT and Telecom is quoted as saying: “The new regulations will include important security clauses that may have been overlooked if the recent wars had not occurred.” It's not clear what these new clauses are, however.

Once registered under the new regulations, satellite internet providers will need to obtain operational licences from the PTA. It is however suggested that many of these companies should be able to launch their services by the end of this year despite delays in licensing that have apparently occurred due to the absence of regulations.



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